NorthWind has been established as a powerful wind energy centre for research, education and innovation. The centre has a total of more than 50 partners covering the entire Norwegian offshore wind value chain. The goal is to cut costs, ensure sustainable development, create jobs and increase exports from the Norwegian supplier industry.
In 2023, we have structured our work on innovation and interaction between researchers and industry. The consulting firm Impello was engaged to further analyze the 30 innovations identified in 2022. The innovations were evaluated in terms of the potential for commercialisation and benefit to the industry, as well as the status of development. The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) was used to describe the technological maturity of the innovation. The results are in areas that are important for the Norwegian offshore wind initiative and where we have leading industry partners who can apply the results. This includes substructures for offshore wind, marine operations, electrical infrastructure, digital solutions for monitoring and control, and sustainable development with positive coexistence and environmental design as central themes. The innovations are developed in NorthWind from the idea stage (TRL=1) up to validation in the laboratory or field (TRL=5). The industry partners are engaged in the work, for example through participation in specific user studies and so that they can use and develop knowledge and innovation from the centre in their activities. Examples of results that have been adopted in the industry are hybrid welding (Aker Offshore Wind and Aibel), wind farm design optimization (Norconsult) and digital twin technology (DNV).
Education constitutes a central activity in NorthWind and very important for securing future competence. The activity consists of bachelor's and master's degree programmes, continuing education (EVU) and the PhD programme. In 2023, 51 students at NTNU and UiO have submitted master's theses in wind power. There is generally great interest among the students to the topic, and we see a positive development in the gender balance, where the proportion of women among the master's students who specialize in wind power has increased from 33% in 2022 to 43% in 2023. NTNU conducted a major continuing education course on offshore wind in 2023 specifically aimed at employees in oil and gas to further develop its expertise towards offshore wind. This was very successful with about 100 participants and will be continued as a general offshore wind EVU offer from NTNU. The PhD programme comprises a total of 26 PhDs, of which NorthWind has so far employed 14 PhDs with 50/50 gender balance and with good coverage of relevant topics.
NorthWind actively contributes to the communication of research results. A main event is the annual EERA DeepWind conference in Trondheim. In January 2023, DeepWind was held for the 20th time. With a record 400 participants from around the world contributing a total of 225 scientific presentations. In June, a delegation from NorthWind and the Research Council of Norway visited Aibel's yard in Haugesund, where the HVDC platforms for the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm were under construction. This summer, NorthWind contributed to Arendalsuka with several presentations and to the knowledge summary How can Norway prevent a power deficit in 2027? 3 Advice to politicians. In 2023, NorthWind has hosted or supported over 30 webinars and workshops. The website for the centre northwindresearch.no be kept continuously updated and used actively to communicate results and news, and has approx. 3000 monthly visits.
NorthWind actively contributes to the management of the Offshore Wind Cooperation Forum, thematic group Research, Technology Development and Competence, and international forums such as the European Energy Research Alliance EERA JP wind, the European Technology and Innovation Platform, ETIP wind, and in working groups under IEA TCP wind. The work gives the finger on the pulse with good dialogue with the authorities, industry and academia, and ensures relevance and effective dissemination of research in the centre.
FME NorthWind, the Norwegian Research Centre on Wind Energy, will progress outstanding research and innovation to facilitate the sustainable development of wind power with respect for nature both on land and offshore. Such development will support the creation of thousands of new green jobs in the Norwegian service and supply industry and spearhead substantial export growth for Norway, particularly for offshore wind development.
Focus areas for NorthWind include:
- Turbines and support structures, including floating platforms
- Marine operations and logistics for offshore wind farms
- Electrical systems infrastructure and power grid integration
- Digital twin technology for improved asset management
- The development of a sustainable wind power industry
NorthWind will lay a solid technological foundation to unlock the future market potential through outstanding research to lower the risk and cost of wind farms and through the development of a large number of innovations for widespread implementation. Published scientific results will provide developers and operators with tools and knowledge to optimise the design and operation of wind farms, including the development of cost competitive floating wind farms by 2030, helping to make the necessary green energy transition a reality.
On top of the research results, NorthWind will serve as a knowledge-based platform for the much-needed public engagement, informed debate and policy development on wind energy in Norway and beyond. Digital tools will be used where possible to maximize reach and participation in these processes.
The NorthWind consortium involves several key actors for wind power research and development, including SINTEF, NTNU, UiO, NGI and NINA, all with experience in FME-level research centres and strong competence on wind energy research. In addition, more than 35 industrial partners that cover the full supply chain from planning to deployment will ensure the highest relevance to industry requirements.